Tomato is India’s second most important vegetable crop, next to potato. And now ‘Arka Rakshak’, a new F1 fresh market and processing tomato hybrid with resistance to three major tomato diseases, is available for farmers eager to supply India’s growing demand.
The variety was developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) by crossing one of their advanced breeding lines with an advanced breeding line sourced from the World Vegetable Center.
Tomato leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt and early blight are among the most difficult tomato diseases to manage as there are no chemical treatments available to stop their spread. Building resistance into a variety is the most effective -- and cost-effective -- approach to tomato disease management. ‘Arka Rakshak’ produces medium to large (80-100 g), deep red, very firm fruits with good keeping quality (15-20 days) and transportability. Farmers can expect yields of 90-100 t/ha.
WorldVeg provides the important breeding materials partners need to produce vigorous, pest-and disease-resistant varieties with tolerance to heat, drought, flooding and other environmental conditions farmers typically encounter in the field. Congratulations to IIHR!

Increasing atmospheric temperatures will be detrimental for growth functions of various crop plants, especially mungbean, as demand for this legume is increasing in spring and summer in major growing regions in the northern parts of India.

On behalf of the World Vegetable Center, Legume Breeder Ram Nair signed a memorandum of agreement between the Center and the Government of Odisha, India on 23 July 2016 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha to support the project “Improving mungbean and urdbean productivity in Odisha state.” P. K. Meherda, Commissioner cum Director, Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Government of Odisha, signed for Odisha.

Crop breeding research by international agricultural research centers usually serves public sector crop breeding, but does it still have a role when research and development have shifted to the private sector? This paper explores this question for vegetables in India using data from 27 private companies and 9 public organizations.

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VTIC VEGETABLES: African eggplant seedlings thrive in the nursery at the WorldVeg Gbondoi Vegetable Technology Immersion Cluster (VTIC) in Liberia. VTICs bring communities together to learn about and try new vegetable production technologies.

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